New's Year Resolutions

71 PERCENT OF AMERICANS PREPARE TO DITCH

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

Local Physical Therapist Helps Adopt New Life Changes

Middletown, RI   January 15, 2014) – Nearly 50 percent of Americans create New Year’s resolutions annually, among which losing weight and being fit are two of the top five goals people set. Yet, according to Statistic Brain, 71 percent of those who pursue a New Year’s resolution drop it before the end of January.

However, Don Levine, physical therapist and co-owner of Olympic Physical Therapy in RI, and a member of the Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (PPS) is helping create lasting healthy life changes.

“We all know that building and keeping a healthy New Year’s resolution is based on forming habits,” said Levine. “As a physical therapist, by nature and by profession, my job is to establish an individually-tailored plan that helps replace weakness with strength by achieving goals step-by-step over time until habits become integrated as part of a lifestyle.”

Top reasons for terminating resolutions at the onset are varied but include setting too many goals, expectation for immediate results, lack of accountability and the “all or nothing” approach, where once one falls off the wagon, one stays off the wagon.

Levine says most people attempt to tackle New Year’s resolutions without assistance and direction from a medical professional equipped to build solid habits. A solo effort often lacks a necessary reward system for smaller accomplishments, results in injury and/or burn-out, and ends in frustration.

“Too often, when someone falls short of sticking to a resolution, they quit all together, failing to see the opportunity of getting back into the game,” said Levine. “Each unique resolution can only be achieved through a series of calculated steps and a system of reward throughout the journey.”